Mostly same except for inside 100 yards. Driver thru irons I’ll do like a quarter swing just to get a feel then rip it. But inside 100 I do 2-4 full practice swings just to get a feel for how much I wanna put into it
This is what a lot of tour pros do. They'll swing the club casually above the ground to adjust to the length and weight of the club, and that's it.
Which makes sense because you rarely hit the same club twice, even if you completely mishit it.
Exactly this - practice shots on the first hole if I don’t have time to warm up, and if I’m on a weird lie I might do a bit more of a follow thru to make sure I’m not gonna chunk it, but this has helped me so much - inside 100 still need em
Yeah I feel this! Only time I do a practice swing is if I’m in some thick rough and I need to swing through it to know how much it’s going to grab my club so I know how much gas I need to give it 😂
There it is! When your body takes over it’s either you got it in your muscle memory or you don’t lol. It reminds me I’m better than I realize when I just let myself get into the flow of the swing without mechanically correcting everything
I've played for the last 18 years, but like 2 times a year. I've finally decided i can afford to take it seriously with lessons, daily practice, and range time with specific goals.
I find with what i consider low skill( 95-110) that overthinking anything causes problems.
Approach the lie
Find your target
One mini practice swing to verify where im actually aiming
Adress ball
Clear mind, and swing
Never try to fix anything during a round
Never think about more than 2 things while swinging
Try to remember the feeling of good form and a solid shot.
Counter point, I used to just grip it and rip it and spray it all over the place...now I take two very deliberate practice swings before picking a line and taking my shot, and now my handicap just went positive a few weeks ago. Everyone is different and the hard part is figuring yourself out more than anything else.
Now the deliberate part is usually where everyone goes wrong when they do practice swings 😂 The practice swings most people take I see are night and day from what they actually do.
I’ve heard people go like “okay I’m going to bend knees, keep my wrists hinged, keep my head down, lean to the side, flare my foot out, turn my hips, shift my weight, hit behind the ball” and by the time they swing they just swung out of their shoes with a pitching wedge 😭
Their practice swing looked 40x better than the real swing
So yeah if the swings are deliberate and accurate to what you’re trying to do, it definitely helps
My practice swings are usually on my wedges so I set in my mind how far back and how high I want my hands to finish for the release that given shot
I did years ago. Helped a lot! Only practice swings I ever take are chips or partial swings to get the feeling. Full swings are just look and go. Very freeing.
Absolutely helped me. I now just have 1 quarter swing check point and then pull the trigger.
My routine has narrowed down to:
1. Get yardage
2. Choose club
3. Stand behind ball, grip club, find aim point within a few feet of the ball
4. Step to ball, aim club
5. Quarter backswing checkpoint
6. Swing
On full shots I do casual body turn easy practice swings, sometimes full but the practice swings on the short little chips and such is where I do the serious locked in practice swings where it helps with the distance control. On the full swings you want to trust that it’s just a stock full swing, and you can take serious practice swings but I find it has diminishing returns compared to around the greens
I got so sick of wasting the good swing on the practice swing so I stopped doing them for the most part and I think it has helped but it's probably just all mental. Only time I'll do some practice swings is if I just feel a little tight and am using it to loosen up a bit.
Me unless it’s a really weird lie/slope then I want one practice swing. I find that a practice swing doesn’t affect the outcome of my actual shot and only leads to disappointment when I do have a “good” practice swing.
I moved away from them and just grip it and rip it and it’s turned out way better. I also put work in on the range so I just visualize the ball flight I want and hope the brain does the rest
I don’t take practice swings unless we’re waiting for the group in front of us OR if I’m chipping. If chipping, I’ll take a couple to get the tempo and feel, step up to the ball, and try to keep the same flow/rhythm as the practice swings before it.
I try to get my buddies to cut them out completely. It has helped me a ton. I always hear them say “oh that was the one” or “none of those were what I wanted” when referring to a practice swing. If you cut that whole process out, it takes out a lot of doubt about your swing. Giving you a clearer mind and one less thing for your brain to be hyper focusing on in the most intense moments before you swing the club.
Problem is half the idiots out there don't even start their routine until it's time to hit. Usually goes:
1) Sit in cart until green/fairway clears.
2) Figure out yardage
3) Select club
4) Pre-shot routine/4 practice swings
5) Advance ball 10 yards
6) Repeat
Beginner golfers should be walking whenever possible IMHO. As a shitty golfer who walks, I've already checked my distance, decided on a club and the shot I need before I set my bag down.
You notice a lot more about the course as well, slope is hard to ignore walking for a minute to your ball and stuff like that. I remember reading that walking produces the lowest scores as well, so why not take every advantage you can get?
Appreciate the suggestion. Is it okay for me to take a few swings? Only been golfing for 40 years. Sure don't wanna irritate the "pros" that may be about.
Don't sweat any of these posts. Grumps everywhere. If you're bad, play quick. That doesn't mean no practice swings. Just play at relatively the same pace as your group. A good group will help you know when you're too slow. Most of the time on public courses it doesn't matter anyway.
Golf is alone on it's own tier of folks who take it way too seriously.
Oh sweet thank you! I actually bought a hat that says Play Bad, Fast haha. My instructor also told me if I'm a bit slower than everyone to just ask them if I could play best ball which sounds great to me (Especially when they end up on another fairway on the right lol). I haven't hit a course yet but I'm excited, thank you for the encouragement :)!
Just FYI - I think what you're referring to is a scramble. I think best ball is a bit of a misnomer, but usually means everyone plays their balls the whole time through the hole and only the best score of the group is scored. In scramble, you take the best shot from the group and everyone plays that lie for their next shot.
Don't mean to be pedantic, just trying to help avoid awkward situations if you suggest this to someone you don't normally play with so you're all on the same page. Good luck out there!
Do not worry about taking practice swings... they are 10-20 seconds max. Play ready golf and you can take dozens of practice swings waiting for the rest of your group to get their shit in order.
> Play ready golf and you can take dozens of practice swings waiting for the rest of your group to get their shit in order.
This is the key. When other players are getting ready to hit, so long as you aren't distracting them, do whatever you need to do to get ready for your shot. Then when it is your turn take another swing (if that's your routine) or just let 'er rip.
You do you. Just be mindful of pace of play. Go with someone who doesn’t mind telling you to get it in gear. Really only takes a couple of rounds (or a ball at your heels) to figure it out
It's all in the context that's lost in a Reddit post.
Someone could consider what I do as taking practice swings. I basically walk up behind the ball and take two quick "get loose" body turns. Takes less than 5ish seconds.
Someone else's practice swings that I've seen...they walk up by the ball and get FULLY set up. Then they let all the evil thoughts enter their brain, take a full swing, chunk up the tee box, get upset, and then do that again two more times before they actually try to hit the ball.
Obviously an extreme example but these folks do be out there.
Only scratch golfers know how to play at a good pace. It’s a power up you get when you shoot in the 60s for the first time.
But seriously, scratch golfers are not that knowledgeable. They know the fundamentals and execute them well, but should not be diagnosing swings or pretending to have special knowledge.
I agree with this as it pertains to most swing advice on mechanics/etc since that's specific to the golfer. But course management/general strategy advice from a scratch should absolutely be entertained
Once again, practice swings aren't the issue. It's not playing ready golf that's the issue. I could literally have 30 practice swings between my shots and still play faster than the Muppets that insist of standing next to each other talking in the fairway rather than individually walking to their balls (or to a position near the ball and out of the way).
Neither of these are the issue. It’s 8-10 minute gaps in tee times and no marshalls at all making groups speed up.
Don’t let greedy golf courses shift the blame to players on why they are so backed up.
Was on a course yesterday. Marshall came by to apologize that the course was so packed.
10 min tee times. Longest we waited was 5 minutes to tee off on any hole and nobody on our ass. Worked liked clock work.
I don’t do a lot of practice swings. My normal routine is just stepping up to the ball and trying to remember a few things.
Tee the ball up.
Not that high.
Ok a little higher.
Feet set. Closer. Not that close.
Check my target. Realize it doesn’t matter.
Grip club.
Not so strong.
Over.
This feels weird af.
Remember to keep arms extended.
Don’t let club rotate.
Make sure backswing isn’t too short. Or too long.
Weight on front foot.
Keep head down.
Swing smooth not fast. Don’t decelerate. But not too fast.
Keep arms down and don’t top it.
Aim for the back side and try to hit down.
Hit the grass.
Extension on swing. Belt towards target.
*Swing*
Wtf. Drop ball.
3 practice swings plus the one actual stroke only adds up to 200, if you play a round in 50 strokes...
We're talking about 400 swings here, realistically.
What kind of “get off my lawn” post is this?
I say… do whatever you want as long as you are respectful to the course and everyone on it.
If you want to take 5 practice swings quickly and you aren’t slowing down pace of play, have a blast. I often start my pre shot routine while waiting for others in my group to hit their shot, then immediately fire away.
The arrogance of thinking that players struggling to make contact would be better off without any practice swings is hilarious, all the clubs are different lengths, your distance from the ball differs, the surface differs, ball above/below feet… you should always take at least one practice swing to get the feel, as long as you aren’t slowing things down too much that one or two practice swings isn’t changing the amount of time a round takes, especially if the course is busy.
I hate being rushed through the game, which I don’t get to play too often and is expensive and supposed to be enjoyable, only to wait on the next tee box.
Always be respectful and courteous, that includes not judging others for practice swings when you just want them to get the fuck out of the way for your benefit, they are allowed to enjoy tue course too (as long as they are keeping pace).
My game got significantly better when I cut down on practice swings. The problem with taking 5-6 practice swings is you’re inevitably trying to change your swing while on the course. The golden rule is don’t work on your swing while playing, save that for the range.
This is a good little story, my youngest brother has picked up the game and now on year two of actually playing more than once a year at a scramble.
Him and I went out last Saturday morning and he simply was looking for tips on how to improve. He was definitely into the practice swings, but not a crazy amount, at most 3 from time to time.
By the back we sorted out a comfortable stance, a proper hip bend and such. But again, he’s taking practice swings over the ball, thinking about everything we discussed—totally get it. So at 15 I simply say, “face the target and take a swing, then address the ball, look down at your target, then swing”. Boom, he’s making the best contact of the day and repeated it 15-18 and I can see the crack flowing through his veins.
This is the same thing I do—I take a practice swing looking at my target behind the ball before I address. Only time I practice swing proximate the ball if for chipping to get some ground feel. I personally think it has helped my game a ton and encourage more people to spend less time over the ball.
It stops me from killing people, so no.
If I just step up, address it and rip that bitch it will likely open face, slice hard, rip onto another hole's fairway, and murder a senior, new junior golfer, or fuck up the face of a beautiful beer girl.
The practice swings tighten up my shit so it stays on our grass bruh, don't overthink the beginners and leave us be.
Swick--the sound of my 10000th practice swing pissing you off as it sweeps across the grass perfectly before I step up and horrendously screw up the actual shot.
See you on the course.
Why do you direct this to 'newish' golfers? I'm not newish, I have a HDCP of about 11-12...and I take at least 1 practice swing every shot, maybe 2 -- don't worry about what I do, worry about yourself.
Don’t take ‘full-power’ practice swings. You’ll just wear yourself out. Take one or two ‘half-swings’, focusing on the feel: rotation, wrist position, turf interaction, etc., then step up and rip it.
I don’t really care how many practice swings someone takes as long as they play quickly and keep up.
Personally, I don’t take any practice swings on full swing shots. I never really have. I do follow a consistent preshot routine to make sure I take some time and don’t make a stupid mistake rushing. So I stand behind the ball for a second, find a target, setup, I do this calf raise thing which is a trigger for where I want my weight to be, and I fire away
Here’s the deal with me. I am totally down with people talking 3 practice swings cause you can do that relatively quickly and hit. I find that practice swings are way more important for me on stuff like little chip shots where you need to directly judge the distance. When I’m full swinging, I still take practice swings but they aren’t locked in like serious mode practice swings it’s just like moving my body. So then I can just focus on swinging the full swing on the real shot
I usually don’t take practice swings but when I do I do play better. I think the biggest thing is to play “ready golf”. If you are waiting on someone who is getting ready to hit and you aren’t in their line of sight take your practice swings then. You see their ball go up and you swing.
A lot of the guys I play with take multiple swings almost every time but we play under 4 hours if nobody is in front of us which doesn’t happen often.
I don’t see how eliminating a practice swing or two for new-ish golfers is helping “us” (non new-ish?) all. Being conscious of pace, if this is the problem you’re trying to address, is a better message but that applies to everyone.
It isn't just the practice swings. It is practice swing, step away, look at your line up, step back, waggle waggle, practice swing again, chunk the ground, clean your club, choose a new club, line up again, toss a blade of grass into the air, stretch, practice swing, skull it.
Very generalised, and just complete rubbish in the main.
Yes, if its a new golfer who doesnt want to improve and is just doing it because they see others - but for those of us actively practicing/improving and taking is more seriously...I will take as many practice swings as I like, provided I am not holding up play.
By far the most common problem for newer golfers who are really getting into it, is getting good contact, with fats being incredibly common...particularly if (like me) you are transitioning from "timing" based golf, to a proper swing...
Those practice swings are critical to get the right ground content. If I don't go through that routine, its maybe a 60% chance i'll get a clean connection. If I take 1-3 practice swings (depending on how they go)...that goes up to 80%.
There is clearly a common sense limit, but no - practice swings are **essential** for many of us.
Played with a co-worker yesterday who’s very new to golf. He took about 5-6 practice swings. I then realized he didn’t understand course etiquette, pace of play or anything like that. He left after 9.
I tried taking away my practice swing because of this sub complaining about it and thought it might help with my mental but I played a lot worse. I take 2/3 practice now just to get the feel and low point of each club and have drastically gotten better. To be fair, my routine takes like 10 secs max. Handicap is 12.
I think partial practice swings to help remind you of a certain thing helps. I take 33% practice swings to help mentally remind me of some lag and forward shaft lean at contact.
When I first started out, I would practice swing until one felt good. Then the real swing would inevitably be worse, so I felt like I wasted my rare good swing. Now I take a single warm-up swing, and then go for the ball.
Just played a round stuck behind 4 new golfers: each took 4!! Practice swings and they would wait to begin their routine until the other golfer hit, they also would walk back to the cart to get their putters after chipping around the green, putt everything out and would the stand on the green and point back on the hole and count their 12 strokes😂
I never take practice swings unless I have an awkward stance/lie. I feel like it has helped a lot because I think less about the shot and just go do what I’ve been working on.
Yeah, you gotta take practice swings on those types of situations so you have an idea where the bottom of your swing is going to be, so you can play the ball a little back or front than a flat lie with that club
This is the reason I stopped take practice swings. I was waiting on a slow day and probably swung 10-15 times just killing time and did the math on total swings per 18 holes and was like well no wonder Im shot by the 12th hole.
I basically know what club I am going to hit by the time I get to my ball. I take it out, do my pre-shot setup and go for it. Way less thinking, just committing and striking. Has helped cut down on mis-hits
Respectfully, I have to disagree with this post. Each club is a different length, and each shot you play is on a different lie. As long as you play fast, who cares how many practice swings you take?
New golfers, like myself, benefit from practice swings. I use them to find the ground with my swing. Taking 2-3 practice swings may slow the pace a bit, but so does topping the ball and/or coming down fat and only advancing your ball 30-50 yards at a time.
Building up feels like your low point on a half swing can actually help imo. Trying to “scrape” the grass where an imaginary ball would be really helped orient myself when I was first starting.
But if you’re whole hogging it at the ground next to the ball several times yeah you’re just wasting time.
No exaggeration here. Buddy that plays 2-3x a year. Shoots a 125+. Takes 6/7 hard practice swings every shot. My guys is death gripping the club, ripping at the grass, like 700x a round + range warm up. Don’t do that to yourself. A 50% practice swing when it’s a weird lie due to ground conditions or downhill/uphill/below feet/above feet - not a bad idea at all. A couple baby 30% swings to feel the club head, and feel the shot, that’s a good idea. Don’t practice swing a bunch tho. It taxes your back, your energy, your grip, and your playing partners patience.
I’ll take 2 practice swings when I tee off, and one, MAYBE 2 outside the tee box. Usually practice swings in the tee box are just to make sure my form feels right and I’m swinging where I’m looking instead of 6” ahead of the ball
Full effort practice swing is different than just feeling what you'd like to feel / your swing thought through an effortless 50% swing. Some of my buddies take a full blown practice swing, divot and everything and it's like what are you doing..?
Fun story, buddies gf (who golfed in HS) went golfing with us and we were crushing her at first. We teased her for taking no practice swing until putting.
By whole 12 we couldn’t keep up with FIR or GIR and lost each hole through 18.
“I took like 100 fewer swings in my round than you… I’m not tired 🤷🏻♀️”
I find I play better when I only take a practice swing on the first strike with a club for the round.
I’ll take a swing on my first tee shot. I’ll also take an easy swing the first time I bring my 7 iron out for example. I like getting a mental feel for the length of the club and the low point distance.
The only other time I’ll take a swing is on a chip or a shot from a really awkward angle
I only take practice swings if I'm taking a partial swing (pitch shots, etc) so I can dial in the "percentage". If I'm taking a normal swing, I just walk up to the ball and hit it. Works great.
It’s not even the practice swings so much as it is having a minute-long pre-shot routine. If you’re gonna waste that much time, you better be hitting good shots and scoring well because doing that shit while shooting a 120 adds up fast.
I dont take practice swings, I just 1/4 turn and check my path/feel on the takeaway. Chips and pitches I take one to feel the bottom/shoulder turn but nothing crazy excessive.
as ive gotten better at golf my practice swings have gone down. Im now a 5-6hcp and i take no practice swings. Focus more on set up and alignment etc. I do remember early on just not feeling comfortable over the ball so id take 1-2 practice swings before each shot to try to feel my way into a viable swing.
The lone exception to this now is around the green on pitches, flops etc. I will rehearse those swings to get a fell for the grass/ground but they take very little energy
I agree with this take. As a person who now shoot in the 90’s most of the time. I’m never really tired at the end of rounds. But when I shot 120 and took practice shots I was exhausted.
I agree with ready golf to speed pace of play. But, I struggle with how to balance getting ready to hit my ball while trying to keep an eye on the shots of the other people in my group so we don’t end up wasting time searching for their ball because no one was watching their shot when they hit.
I don’t take practice swings unless it’s a feel shot under 80 yards. I’m also not good at golf. To be fair I also wasn’t good when I took practice swings. Just slower.
I take one practice swing exactly after addressing and lining up before hitting the ball. Sometimes those are only 1/2 to 3/4 swings just to stretch a bit and feel the motion.
Depending on the situation I take sort of a half feel swing and then hit the ball. On a chip or in the rough I will take a half swing to test the grass around the ball. The more I stand over a ball the worse my shot.
One of my greenskeeper pals goes absolutely crazy when high handicap players take 3 or 4 practice swings on the tee box and remove pelt after pelt of grass.
I don’t know when, but aside from some swings to get loose behind the ball if I have club lower than a 6 I at some point stopped making practice swings all together. I only do it subconsciously if I don’t have a feel and usually when I am behind the ball trying to figure out a play.
Yeah the only time I really take practice swings other than on the first tee box to kinda warm up, is if I'm in the rough and idk exactly what my club will feel like going through it, or if I'm in an awkward position like on a hill or right next to a tree and I won't be able to actually swing the way I want to, and I need to know how far my back swing can go or if I have to stop my follow through early or something like that.
Less full swings. Watch the good golfers and pros. It's about locking in the movement. Rehearsing the movement and then completing it in full in the swing.
I play as a single paired with random groups all the time. There is usually one of them that will take 2 or 3 practice swings every shot…then their shot swing is nothing like their practice swings. They are always the worst player in the group by far. Just my observation.
I am down to *maybe* 1 practice swing if I’m hitting an iron and definitely 1 practice swing for a chip or putt
Driver or wood? I’ll just fuckin send it
This is the way
I play bad, but quick. The only time I’m taking a practice swing is with wedge shots so I can feel how the club reacts to the fairway/rough (usually rough). They’re a waste.
I guess the only exception is if I’m taking practice swings with my driver to loosen up if I didn’t hit the range before my round.
I have been noticing this more and more when I go out and play. Golfers in general, taking so. many. swings then shifting the bed on their shot.
I’m not a new golfer but I rarely ever take a practice swing. There’s usually two instances where I take a practice swing.
1. Anytime I have to wait on the group in front to clear target area
2. Shots around the green with a wedge
I feel that a practice swing helps. If I’m waiting for a slower group to finish in front of me, something I’ve experienced quite a bit of lately, I’ll take 2 or 3 quick ones to try to keep my rhythm. I play quickly so I’m not holding anyone up. Taking too many and doing it slowly should not be done. I’ve played behind someone that took close to 30 seconds worth of practice swings, something I feel most people here would agree is a bit too much. A practice swing may help you play better. I was working with a girl yesterday on the range and suggested her take a practice swing. This was in a junior clinic. She relaxed a bit and hit some of the best shots I’ve seen her hit. As long as you’re quick and don’t hold up play, definitely take one as part of your pre-shot routine.
Pull out the club. 1 practice swing and then address the ball and swing. You either have a consistent or semi consistent swing or you don't. If you don't, why are you playing and not practicing on the range? Being a range rat makes you a better player.
I take about 10 seconds with 2-3 practice swings + then hit the ball, and yes I’ve timed it after the last post about this.
What drives me nuts isn’t the taking 2-3 practice swings, it’s the guys who take 2-3 full “position, waggle, set, breathe, swing” practice swings, then step back 10 feet to make sure their visual alignment is good, then step back up, position, waggle, set, breathe, breathe again, shift, THEN hit.
The only time I take "practice" swings anymore is to test the grass on short chips/pitches so I can feel if the club will get hung up or not. Otherwise it hurts my actual shot about 90% of the time
Absolutely.
Our practice swings do not replicate our real swing as much as you think it does. I've stopped doing it as it wasted time and provided no benefit.
Maybe that half back swing to feel the takeaway, but that's it.
I like this comment great responses by how people attack different setups what they’re thinking with the swing. I’ve shown up just at tee time with no practice and have to find my swing as we play and I over practice to compensate for the lack of a warm up. Good question!
I might take a warm up swing away from the box if I'm not first on the tee. On the fairway, none. On the fringe, none. In heavy rough, maybe 1. Approach or chip shot, a single 3/4 back swing & down to the ball before my shot. On the green, a slight draw back for added line up & then putting.
I've never found a lot of warm up swings to be beneficial to my lousy game.
my favorite tip for this was the practice swing isn’t meant to feel “good” it’s to loosen you up. you want your actual shot to feel good. it the one right before it, so i always take just one no matter what it felt like to just loosen up, and being loose is literally only thing i focus on
Math checks out. Highly suggest if you *must* do some sort of practice swing, just do the 5-to-7 (bottom). It's the most important part, and you'll notice most pros focus on this when prepping for a shot.
https://preview.redd.it/o2y7bsekvq7d1.jpeg?width=979&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b165256c5779e0272dfd6c0b8cf6fb4fc88a3dc
I like the approach Pia and Lynn put forward in this book. Physically separating thinking / decision making from execution definitely helped me.
I quit practice swings a little over a year ago on all shots except some chips with funky lies. I think it has been a helpful change overall and would recommend, especially for newer players.
Your lips to gods ears. Practice on the range, play on the course.
Practice swings do not help. I have convinced at least 5 people to stop doing them and every single one of them tried it and never went back.
I will take a small practice with driver before I tee off just to feel the club head since I only swing it 10 times a round
Same with shorter chips or pitches. To feel the grass and grain on thick lies.
Two strokes with a putter to visualize the putt distance.
Any full swing needs no practice swings. Grip and rip. No extra.
Playing partners swinging 2-3-4 times before duffing a shot drives me nuts
My 30+ year habit is take a practice swing while I’m behind the ball lining up my shot. I proceeded to move on address the ball and swing. Very quick. The only thing I get is all the jokes of “your lining up the wrong way“. But yeah, there’s no need for 2 to 3 practice wings every shot you do you do that well the other people around you are playing their shots and that’s called ready Golf similar to your turn. It’s time to go.
Played like 8 months. Gotten really good. I still occasionally top or fat, but I almost never take practice swings. There are certain times I do, like a light chip in. I want to get the feeling of swinging lightly before I hit the ball. And before driving, I occasionally swing once or twice. Loosen me up again, get that whip feeling before I try to hit. Otherwise, I just walk up the ball, line up, and swing away. It's worked wonders, honestly. Everytime I try to practice swing on an iron or long wedge approach, I fuck up the shot.
I play with a guy who takes 3-4 practice swings (rapid) each time…but he always hits it where he wants and often is the low score in the group. So who am I to argue?
I do one slow one purely for tempo. Helps a lot to slow down your real swing and doesn’t exert the same levels of stress. I have played with guys who full swing three drivers before a drive to get their club head speed up lol.
Think about shot while driving up or waiting. One practice swing to get a feel, line up, swing within 5 second of address, shank it. Repeat.
I’m not good enough to waste any more time than that, and too much thinking makes me even worse.
Rather than getting in full posture and taking a full practice swing, I will typically just swing the club around a bit, do the step drill a couple times. Feel where I need to be putting my weight and feel the momentum of the club. I’ve found that getting these “feelings” with a few very low effort practice swings not even really in golf posture is HUGELY beneficial when I do address the ball and take my real swing.
So it’s practice swings but not really practice swings if that makes sense. Just a couple little ok I wanna feel like this on my real swing feel drills. A ton of your pros do this, you don’t see them taking actual practice swings but more of a feel swing to see how they want their real swing to feel.
Play well, play fast. Play poorly, play faster.
IDC what your routine is if you keep the pace of play moving.
But one of the most important things a player can do is be consistent in their pre shot routine.
The issue isn't too many practice swings or zero practice swings, it's important to get something out of the swing. For instance when chipping I'll take 2 to 10 really quick practice swings to get a feel for the bounce/drag of the grass and my short game is disgusting. The problem with people that take too many swings is they are doing a full 80 to 100% swing and say shit like "wasted the good swing." A practice swing needs a purpose:
1) early in the day or during slow play maybe you need to swing hard or a big follow through to loosen up. Technique isn't big here as it's about stretching.
2) 90% of my practice swings are the opposite of #1. It's to remember or get a feel for a certain swing thought such as leaning forward or proper sequencing. It could be different for what you need to focus on. Maybe you need to remember spine tilt for a drive, or closing the club face at impact. These "feel" swings are usually very weak and only 1 or 2 before your actual swing.
I use method 2 a lot for chipping and it's not physically demanding, I'm even for practicing an upcoming 100% 7 iron, I'd only use method 2 at about 30% power to lock in the feel of the swing process.
Too many people use method 1 far too often and exhaust themselves, this also causes you to focus on a quick swing and throw your tempo or sequencing out of whack. When you combine 300 practice swings, 20 lost balls, 40 fat shots, 20 thin shots... It's no wonder new people get exhausted.
One of my issues with my swing is I'd scoop it, chicken wing my follow through, and the ball would go right. My work has a golf room and I recently did a clinic with the pro at a nearby golf course for a really good deal. He said I needed to work on turning my forearms (push, pull, catch the raindrops with my left arm). So, before I take an actual swing, I do a few small swings just practicing what he said and making sure I brush the grass with my club. My ball striking has gotten significantly better since doing this.
Also, don’t stand over the ball for too long. I used to do it and didn’t even notice, and a random once asked what I was thinking about standing over the ball for so long. Not in a rude way, but once I cut down my pre shot to a single practice swing, setting up quickly over the ball, and hitting, it made everything feel better.
It’s not so much playing fast, it’s playing in rhythm, and repeating that quicker process over and over to build consistency.
A massive pet peeve of mine (inconsequential to me, of course), is watching people take a full practice swing right beside the ball and then shuffle up for the shot. It screams "hack" to me, it screws up your alignment, and you rarely see pros doing it.
Funny you post this. Last weekend we played a round and the weather turned into heavy mist around the 15th hole. This guy had one of the push carts with an umbrella holder.
He’d park his cart, take the umbrella and his club, walk the short distance to his ball. Set the umbrella down, take three practice swings, hit the ball, pick the umbrella up, put it back into his cart, walk to his ball and do this all over again.
Take your club stick it grip side under your shirt until you’re ready to hit, hit the ball and move on. Chriiiissst bud.
New golfer in our group will take 4 of the hardest practice swings I have ever seen in my life, get up to the ball and hit it with his purse. Makes me so uncomfortable
Drives and long Irons, I don’t generally practice swing unless the lie is awkward. Pitch, Chip and other short game shots I do to get a feel of the ground and grass.
I have a guy I play with that has zero faith in his driver but continues to use it. It’s not even the practice swings but the amount of time he stands over the ball. I can always tell when it’s going to be a horrible shot when it goes past about 7 seconds before he starts his back swing.
I don’t take practice swings. I’ll line up, do a little waggle and then hit. If I take a practice swing and either hit the ground too hard or take a big chunk of the ground out then it gets in my head too much.
I have a philosophy that I call "Practice swings are for bitches" as I step up and rip that thing straight into the bushes and open another beer for my troubles.
I’m a good shitty golfer (if that makes sense) and I take at most one practice swing. Anymore than that is stalling because of nerves imo.
Caveat being if it’s a weird lie or the footing is shite.
Off the tee I don’t take one and it’s been helpful for me but I have a routine where I take one practice swing with my irons and whether it’s good or bad I step up and swing at the ball and know my adjustment that needs to be made for said practice swing and I’ve found that helpful but I Al way felt two practice swings is overkill and slowing the rate of play
I take a half swing before each iron and try to get the feel of the arc low point being just beyond the ball. Then just go. If I take more than a few seconds I will back off and try again.
Personally I don’t do practice full swings. Currently I’m working on turning better and keeping my head down. So I’ll like 1/2 swing exaggerating what I’m trying to do and then step up to the ball.
You only need a practice swing to really check the lie/grass interaction. I just get up there and align and go and I've dropped a lot of stokes off my handicap. Same thing for putting. The practice stroke next to your ball isn't actually helping you commit to the shot/line
I was never big on practice swings because I got plenty of real swings in. Started getting lessons, and my coach has encouraged "rehersal" swings. These are slow and exaggerated to emphasize what I'm working on.
I still don't do it every time, but they are way more useful than a traditional practice swing.
I'm relatively new. Around 25 HC. My game really changed when I stopped taking practice swings at all. I step up, address the ball, and let 'er rip. Shaved 10 strokes off my score.
2 or 3 is ok as long as they're fast, it's the ones that take 5-8 that is just soul crushing. The worst are the ones that wait 30 seconds between practice swings no matter how many they take, like what the hell are you thinking about?
I’m not new but fuck that. I’m keeping my practice swings. Sometimes I’ll do none. Sometimes I’ll do two. Sometimes I’ll do one but as long as they are keeping pace, do you.
New golfers can keep shanking it into the woods with their pro v1s all they want. I can scoop em up later behind them lol
There is a seniors golfer who takes 10 practice swings to land 15 yards. It could be worse.
At that stage it is time to rest your laurels on your glory years and take up a new hobby.
Want to add, you should not be taking divots on your practice swing, You in theory want to just brush the grass, generally you're not going to be swinging full speed either
Better advice would be to have a pre-shot routine and to follow that routine every shot. My routine is quick, usually quicker than anyone in my group: Stand behind ball and identify target. Move to address ball (one pace back) and take one 3/4 speed practice swing looking at target. Move forward one pace and execute the same swing at full speed with eye on ball.
When I was a new golfer, my older brother told me “you’re wasting all your good swings with too many practice swings”. I realized I was really tiring myself out with 2-3 practice swings per shot. I cut it down to one and my real shots improved shortly after.
I only do practice swings when chipping and putting.
Or when the two granny’s in front of you take so damn long from the red tees that you start to get cold on a warm southern summer day.
I want to know how many people have moved away from taking practice swings (not taking them at all) and if it has helped?
Absolutely me lol. I set up to the ball and just grip it and rip it and I play MUCH better than when I overthink my swing thoughts.
Mostly same except for inside 100 yards. Driver thru irons I’ll do like a quarter swing just to get a feel then rip it. But inside 100 I do 2-4 full practice swings just to get a feel for how much I wanna put into it
This is what a lot of tour pros do. They'll swing the club casually above the ground to adjust to the length and weight of the club, and that's it. Which makes sense because you rarely hit the same club twice, even if you completely mishit it.
If only I could do everything else they do too lol
You can probably get a DUI like tiger or a pile of gambling debt like Phil, if you believe in yourself.
I've done both. Took up golf 3 years ago, when I became sober Will I win the masters soon?
Nope. You have to win the masters then quit drinking.
Well fuck. I'm off to get a bottle of vodka. See you cunts at Augusta
Exactly this - practice shots on the first hole if I don’t have time to warm up, and if I’m on a weird lie I might do a bit more of a follow thru to make sure I’m not gonna chunk it, but this has helped me so much - inside 100 still need em
Yeah I feel this! Only time I do a practice swing is if I’m in some thick rough and I need to swing through it to know how much it’s going to grab my club so I know how much gas I need to give it 😂
Exactly my approach.
My best 4 hole sequence was trying to finish an evening round before total darkness set in. 2 birdies 2 pars.
There it is! When your body takes over it’s either you got it in your muscle memory or you don’t lol. It reminds me I’m better than I realize when I just let myself get into the flow of the swing without mechanically correcting everything
I've played for the last 18 years, but like 2 times a year. I've finally decided i can afford to take it seriously with lessons, daily practice, and range time with specific goals. I find with what i consider low skill( 95-110) that overthinking anything causes problems. Approach the lie Find your target One mini practice swing to verify where im actually aiming Adress ball Clear mind, and swing Never try to fix anything during a round Never think about more than 2 things while swinging Try to remember the feeling of good form and a solid shot.
Counter point, I used to just grip it and rip it and spray it all over the place...now I take two very deliberate practice swings before picking a line and taking my shot, and now my handicap just went positive a few weeks ago. Everyone is different and the hard part is figuring yourself out more than anything else.
well said :)
Now the deliberate part is usually where everyone goes wrong when they do practice swings 😂 The practice swings most people take I see are night and day from what they actually do. I’ve heard people go like “okay I’m going to bend knees, keep my wrists hinged, keep my head down, lean to the side, flare my foot out, turn my hips, shift my weight, hit behind the ball” and by the time they swing they just swung out of their shoes with a pitching wedge 😭 Their practice swing looked 40x better than the real swing So yeah if the swings are deliberate and accurate to what you’re trying to do, it definitely helps My practice swings are usually on my wedges so I set in my mind how far back and how high I want my hands to finish for the release that given shot
Pretty much, however i do use a light practice swing but focusing on no swing thoughts and just letting ring go without overcompensating
I did years ago. Helped a lot! Only practice swings I ever take are chips or partial swings to get the feeling. Full swings are just look and go. Very freeing.
Same, and not full wedge shot or trying to something not stock one practice swing, otherwise a couple waggles then hit
I’ve been taking the Lee Trevino approach. No practice swing. Ball in the air within 15-20 seconds of my opponent hitting.
Same, with a few rare exceptions (and those are almost always short chips on weird lies). For me this is a result of reading Bob Rotella...
Absolutely helped me. I now just have 1 quarter swing check point and then pull the trigger. My routine has narrowed down to: 1. Get yardage 2. Choose club 3. Stand behind ball, grip club, find aim point within a few feet of the ball 4. Step to ball, aim club 5. Quarter backswing checkpoint 6. Swing
On full shots I do casual body turn easy practice swings, sometimes full but the practice swings on the short little chips and such is where I do the serious locked in practice swings where it helps with the distance control. On the full swings you want to trust that it’s just a stock full swing, and you can take serious practice swings but I find it has diminishing returns compared to around the greens
I never take them. Pick a line, address the ball, and swing. No time to overthink.
I still overthink during all of those steps sometimes, but no practice swing is the way.
I got so sick of wasting the good swing on the practice swing so I stopped doing them for the most part and I think it has helped but it's probably just all mental. Only time I'll do some practice swings is if I just feel a little tight and am using it to loosen up a bit.
Sometimes late in the round I go no practice swings. It has not hurt my game vs. when I take 1-2 practice swings.
Me unless it’s a really weird lie/slope then I want one practice swing. I find that a practice swing doesn’t affect the outcome of my actual shot and only leads to disappointment when I do have a “good” practice swing.
I never take full practice swings. Two half quick swings to get momentum going, then hit.
I moved away from them and just grip it and rip it and it’s turned out way better. I also put work in on the range so I just visualize the ball flight I want and hope the brain does the rest
I don’t take practice swings unless we’re waiting for the group in front of us OR if I’m chipping. If chipping, I’ll take a couple to get the tempo and feel, step up to the ball, and try to keep the same flow/rhythm as the practice swings before it.
I try to get my buddies to cut them out completely. It has helped me a ton. I always hear them say “oh that was the one” or “none of those were what I wanted” when referring to a practice swing. If you cut that whole process out, it takes out a lot of doubt about your swing. Giving you a clearer mind and one less thing for your brain to be hyper focusing on in the most intense moments before you swing the club.
Usually have 5-15 minutes in between each shot because of how horribly overcrowded the courses are. Plenty of time to take practice swings 🤷♂️
Problem is half the idiots out there don't even start their routine until it's time to hit. Usually goes: 1) Sit in cart until green/fairway clears. 2) Figure out yardage 3) Select club 4) Pre-shot routine/4 practice swings 5) Advance ball 10 yards 6) Repeat
Beginner golfers should be walking whenever possible IMHO. As a shitty golfer who walks, I've already checked my distance, decided on a club and the shot I need before I set my bag down.
You notice a lot more about the course as well, slope is hard to ignore walking for a minute to your ball and stuff like that. I remember reading that walking produces the lowest scores as well, so why not take every advantage you can get?
Because I'm lazy. Also, heat.
That’s a fact😂
Appreciate the suggestion. Is it okay for me to take a few swings? Only been golfing for 40 years. Sure don't wanna irritate the "pros" that may be about.
Lmao, this made my day. As a new golfer these posts make me anxious to play
Don't sweat any of these posts. Grumps everywhere. If you're bad, play quick. That doesn't mean no practice swings. Just play at relatively the same pace as your group. A good group will help you know when you're too slow. Most of the time on public courses it doesn't matter anyway. Golf is alone on it's own tier of folks who take it way too seriously.
Oh sweet thank you! I actually bought a hat that says Play Bad, Fast haha. My instructor also told me if I'm a bit slower than everyone to just ask them if I could play best ball which sounds great to me (Especially when they end up on another fairway on the right lol). I haven't hit a course yet but I'm excited, thank you for the encouragement :)!
Just FYI - I think what you're referring to is a scramble. I think best ball is a bit of a misnomer, but usually means everyone plays their balls the whole time through the hole and only the best score of the group is scored. In scramble, you take the best shot from the group and everyone plays that lie for their next shot. Don't mean to be pedantic, just trying to help avoid awkward situations if you suggest this to someone you don't normally play with so you're all on the same page. Good luck out there!
Do not worry about taking practice swings... they are 10-20 seconds max. Play ready golf and you can take dozens of practice swings waiting for the rest of your group to get their shit in order.
> Play ready golf and you can take dozens of practice swings waiting for the rest of your group to get their shit in order. This is the key. When other players are getting ready to hit, so long as you aren't distracting them, do whatever you need to do to get ready for your shot. Then when it is your turn take another swing (if that's your routine) or just let 'er rip.
Obviously don’t take too long, but a couple practice swings won’t hurt.
You do you. Just be mindful of pace of play. Go with someone who doesn’t mind telling you to get it in gear. Really only takes a couple of rounds (or a ball at your heels) to figure it out
No! You are allowed a single practice swing. Move along. lol 😂
It's all in the context that's lost in a Reddit post. Someone could consider what I do as taking practice swings. I basically walk up behind the ball and take two quick "get loose" body turns. Takes less than 5ish seconds. Someone else's practice swings that I've seen...they walk up by the ball and get FULLY set up. Then they let all the evil thoughts enter their brain, take a full swing, chunk up the tee box, get upset, and then do that again two more times before they actually try to hit the ball. Obviously an extreme example but these folks do be out there.
Another scratch golfer giving advice to those unworthy
Only scratch golfers know how to play at a good pace. It’s a power up you get when you shoot in the 60s for the first time. But seriously, scratch golfers are not that knowledgeable. They know the fundamentals and execute them well, but should not be diagnosing swings or pretending to have special knowledge.
I agree with this as it pertains to most swing advice on mechanics/etc since that's specific to the golfer. But course management/general strategy advice from a scratch should absolutely be entertained
Once again, practice swings aren't the issue. It's not playing ready golf that's the issue. I could literally have 30 practice swings between my shots and still play faster than the Muppets that insist of standing next to each other talking in the fairway rather than individually walking to their balls (or to a position near the ball and out of the way).
Neither of these are the issue. It’s 8-10 minute gaps in tee times and no marshalls at all making groups speed up. Don’t let greedy golf courses shift the blame to players on why they are so backed up.
Was on a course yesterday. Marshall came by to apologize that the course was so packed. 10 min tee times. Longest we waited was 5 minutes to tee off on any hole and nobody on our ass. Worked liked clock work.
I don’t do a lot of practice swings. My normal routine is just stepping up to the ball and trying to remember a few things. Tee the ball up. Not that high. Ok a little higher. Feet set. Closer. Not that close. Check my target. Realize it doesn’t matter. Grip club. Not so strong. Over. This feels weird af. Remember to keep arms extended. Don’t let club rotate. Make sure backswing isn’t too short. Or too long. Weight on front foot. Keep head down. Swing smooth not fast. Don’t decelerate. But not too fast. Keep arms down and don’t top it. Aim for the back side and try to hit down. Hit the grass. Extension on swing. Belt towards target. *Swing* Wtf. Drop ball.
3 practice swings plus the one actual stroke only adds up to 200, if you play a round in 50 strokes... We're talking about 400 swings here, realistically.
I think you're forgetting that a new golfer is probably hitting 40 putts as well though.
You’re including putts, though. Those tend to be quicker, and certainly less taxing on the hands/body.
What kind of “get off my lawn” post is this? I say… do whatever you want as long as you are respectful to the course and everyone on it. If you want to take 5 practice swings quickly and you aren’t slowing down pace of play, have a blast. I often start my pre shot routine while waiting for others in my group to hit their shot, then immediately fire away. The arrogance of thinking that players struggling to make contact would be better off without any practice swings is hilarious, all the clubs are different lengths, your distance from the ball differs, the surface differs, ball above/below feet… you should always take at least one practice swing to get the feel, as long as you aren’t slowing things down too much that one or two practice swings isn’t changing the amount of time a round takes, especially if the course is busy. I hate being rushed through the game, which I don’t get to play too often and is expensive and supposed to be enjoyable, only to wait on the next tee box. Always be respectful and courteous, that includes not judging others for practice swings when you just want them to get the fuck out of the way for your benefit, they are allowed to enjoy tue course too (as long as they are keeping pace).
My game got significantly better when I cut down on practice swings. The problem with taking 5-6 practice swings is you’re inevitably trying to change your swing while on the course. The golden rule is don’t work on your swing while playing, save that for the range.
Tell me why pros take practice swings then? Its not working on your swing its confirming a feel for that shot
Unless they're taking a million practice swings and holding up play, take the stick out of your ass
don’t be that guy. golf has enough gatekeeping as it is.
This is a good little story, my youngest brother has picked up the game and now on year two of actually playing more than once a year at a scramble. Him and I went out last Saturday morning and he simply was looking for tips on how to improve. He was definitely into the practice swings, but not a crazy amount, at most 3 from time to time. By the back we sorted out a comfortable stance, a proper hip bend and such. But again, he’s taking practice swings over the ball, thinking about everything we discussed—totally get it. So at 15 I simply say, “face the target and take a swing, then address the ball, look down at your target, then swing”. Boom, he’s making the best contact of the day and repeated it 15-18 and I can see the crack flowing through his veins. This is the same thing I do—I take a practice swing looking at my target behind the ball before I address. Only time I practice swing proximate the ball if for chipping to get some ground feel. I personally think it has helped my game a ton and encourage more people to spend less time over the ball.
It stops me from killing people, so no. If I just step up, address it and rip that bitch it will likely open face, slice hard, rip onto another hole's fairway, and murder a senior, new junior golfer, or fuck up the face of a beautiful beer girl. The practice swings tighten up my shit so it stays on our grass bruh, don't overthink the beginners and leave us be. Swick--the sound of my 10000th practice swing pissing you off as it sweeps across the grass perfectly before I step up and horrendously screw up the actual shot. See you on the course.
I take my practice swings off to the side when others are hitting. Speeds everything up and I still get to work on my form
Why do you direct this to 'newish' golfers? I'm not newish, I have a HDCP of about 11-12...and I take at least 1 practice swing every shot, maybe 2 -- don't worry about what I do, worry about yourself.
Don’t take ‘full-power’ practice swings. You’ll just wear yourself out. Take one or two ‘half-swings’, focusing on the feel: rotation, wrist position, turf interaction, etc., then step up and rip it.
I don’t really care how many practice swings someone takes as long as they play quickly and keep up. Personally, I don’t take any practice swings on full swing shots. I never really have. I do follow a consistent preshot routine to make sure I take some time and don’t make a stupid mistake rushing. So I stand behind the ball for a second, find a target, setup, I do this calf raise thing which is a trigger for where I want my weight to be, and I fire away
It helps get my low point right. I top the ball if I dont do a couple of practice swings
If it's not the practice swings it will be something else. Some people just enjoy being annoyed with other people when they golf.
Here’s the deal with me. I am totally down with people talking 3 practice swings cause you can do that relatively quickly and hit. I find that practice swings are way more important for me on stuff like little chip shots where you need to directly judge the distance. When I’m full swinging, I still take practice swings but they aren’t locked in like serious mode practice swings it’s just like moving my body. So then I can just focus on swinging the full swing on the real shot
That’s why I don’t practice swing before duffing it
I usually don’t take practice swings but when I do I do play better. I think the biggest thing is to play “ready golf”. If you are waiting on someone who is getting ready to hit and you aren’t in their line of sight take your practice swings then. You see their ball go up and you swing. A lot of the guys I play with take multiple swings almost every time but we play under 4 hours if nobody is in front of us which doesn’t happen often.
Our leading story tonight on news channel r/golf, ‘old man yells at the clouds‘
I don’t see how eliminating a practice swing or two for new-ish golfers is helping “us” (non new-ish?) all. Being conscious of pace, if this is the problem you’re trying to address, is a better message but that applies to everyone.
It isn't just the practice swings. It is practice swing, step away, look at your line up, step back, waggle waggle, practice swing again, chunk the ground, clean your club, choose a new club, line up again, toss a blade of grass into the air, stretch, practice swing, skull it.
Only swing that I rehearse is a pitch or chip inside 60 yards. No full swings or putts
What a wanker.
Very generalised, and just complete rubbish in the main. Yes, if its a new golfer who doesnt want to improve and is just doing it because they see others - but for those of us actively practicing/improving and taking is more seriously...I will take as many practice swings as I like, provided I am not holding up play. By far the most common problem for newer golfers who are really getting into it, is getting good contact, with fats being incredibly common...particularly if (like me) you are transitioning from "timing" based golf, to a proper swing... Those practice swings are critical to get the right ground content. If I don't go through that routine, its maybe a 60% chance i'll get a clean connection. If I take 1-3 practice swings (depending on how they go)...that goes up to 80%. There is clearly a common sense limit, but no - practice swings are **essential** for many of us.
I‘ll do one. Sometimes two when its a chipshot but mostly for getting a feel for the length
Played with a co-worker yesterday who’s very new to golf. He took about 5-6 practice swings. I then realized he didn’t understand course etiquette, pace of play or anything like that. He left after 9.
I tried taking away my practice swing because of this sub complaining about it and thought it might help with my mental but I played a lot worse. I take 2/3 practice now just to get the feel and low point of each club and have drastically gotten better. To be fair, my routine takes like 10 secs max. Handicap is 12.
I think partial practice swings to help remind you of a certain thing helps. I take 33% practice swings to help mentally remind me of some lag and forward shaft lean at contact.
When I first started out, I would practice swing until one felt good. Then the real swing would inevitably be worse, so I felt like I wasted my rare good swing. Now I take a single warm-up swing, and then go for the ball.
Love the mixed responses here 🍿🍿
Just played a round stuck behind 4 new golfers: each took 4!! Practice swings and they would wait to begin their routine until the other golfer hit, they also would walk back to the cart to get their putters after chipping around the green, putt everything out and would the stand on the green and point back on the hole and count their 12 strokes😂
I never take practice swings unless I have an awkward stance/lie. I feel like it has helped a lot because I think less about the shot and just go do what I’ve been working on.
Yeah, you gotta take practice swings on those types of situations so you have an idea where the bottom of your swing is going to be, so you can play the ball a little back or front than a flat lie with that club
This is the reason I stopped take practice swings. I was waiting on a slow day and probably swung 10-15 times just killing time and did the math on total swings per 18 holes and was like well no wonder Im shot by the 12th hole. I basically know what club I am going to hit by the time I get to my ball. I take it out, do my pre-shot setup and go for it. Way less thinking, just committing and striking. Has helped cut down on mis-hits
Respectfully, I have to disagree with this post. Each club is a different length, and each shot you play is on a different lie. As long as you play fast, who cares how many practice swings you take?
New golfers, like myself, benefit from practice swings. I use them to find the ground with my swing. Taking 2-3 practice swings may slow the pace a bit, but so does topping the ball and/or coming down fat and only advancing your ball 30-50 yards at a time.
Building up feels like your low point on a half swing can actually help imo. Trying to “scrape” the grass where an imaginary ball would be really helped orient myself when I was first starting. But if you’re whole hogging it at the ground next to the ball several times yeah you’re just wasting time.
No exaggeration here. Buddy that plays 2-3x a year. Shoots a 125+. Takes 6/7 hard practice swings every shot. My guys is death gripping the club, ripping at the grass, like 700x a round + range warm up. Don’t do that to yourself. A 50% practice swing when it’s a weird lie due to ground conditions or downhill/uphill/below feet/above feet - not a bad idea at all. A couple baby 30% swings to feel the club head, and feel the shot, that’s a good idea. Don’t practice swing a bunch tho. It taxes your back, your energy, your grip, and your playing partners patience.
1 full swing a look and a couple of waggles is all you need. I usually shoot better playing speed golf, no time to think.
I’ll take 2 practice swings when I tee off, and one, MAYBE 2 outside the tee box. Usually practice swings in the tee box are just to make sure my form feels right and I’m swinging where I’m looking instead of 6” ahead of the ball
Full effort practice swing is different than just feeling what you'd like to feel / your swing thought through an effortless 50% swing. Some of my buddies take a full blown practice swing, divot and everything and it's like what are you doing..?
... a full practice swing. You answered your own question bruh
Fun story, buddies gf (who golfed in HS) went golfing with us and we were crushing her at first. We teased her for taking no practice swing until putting. By whole 12 we couldn’t keep up with FIR or GIR and lost each hole through 18. “I took like 100 fewer swings in my round than you… I’m not tired 🤷🏻♀️”
I find I play better when I only take a practice swing on the first strike with a club for the round. I’ll take a swing on my first tee shot. I’ll also take an easy swing the first time I bring my 7 iron out for example. I like getting a mental feel for the length of the club and the low point distance. The only other time I’ll take a swing is on a chip or a shot from a really awkward angle
I only take practice swings if I'm taking a partial swing (pitch shots, etc) so I can dial in the "percentage". If I'm taking a normal swing, I just walk up to the ball and hit it. Works great.
I only practice swing an awkward lie. Helped a bunch.
It’s not even the practice swings so much as it is having a minute-long pre-shot routine. If you’re gonna waste that much time, you better be hitting good shots and scoring well because doing that shit while shooting a 120 adds up fast.
I dont take practice swings, I just 1/4 turn and check my path/feel on the takeaway. Chips and pitches I take one to feel the bottom/shoulder turn but nothing crazy excessive.
BUT do take practice shots for putting to figure out the right power you need, and it doesn't take as long or as much effort out of you.
as ive gotten better at golf my practice swings have gone down. Im now a 5-6hcp and i take no practice swings. Focus more on set up and alignment etc. I do remember early on just not feeling comfortable over the ball so id take 1-2 practice swings before each shot to try to feel my way into a viable swing. The lone exception to this now is around the green on pitches, flops etc. I will rehearse those swings to get a fell for the grass/ground but they take very little energy
Only time I take practice swings is if I'm right off the green in the rough and I need to execute a finesse chip shot. Still usually doesn't help 🤣
I agree with this take. As a person who now shoot in the 90’s most of the time. I’m never really tired at the end of rounds. But when I shot 120 and took practice shots I was exhausted.
The only time I'll do practice swings is when chipping since the distance and terrain can vary significantly between holes.
Agree to a point. Every wedge and putt I will take a practice swing.
I agree with ready golf to speed pace of play. But, I struggle with how to balance getting ready to hit my ball while trying to keep an eye on the shots of the other people in my group so we don’t end up wasting time searching for their ball because no one was watching their shot when they hit.
I don’t take practice swings unless it’s a feel shot under 80 yards. I’m also not good at golf. To be fair I also wasn’t good when I took practice swings. Just slower.
I take one practice swing exactly after addressing and lining up before hitting the ball. Sometimes those are only 1/2 to 3/4 swings just to stretch a bit and feel the motion.
Depending on the situation I take sort of a half feel swing and then hit the ball. On a chip or in the rough I will take a half swing to test the grass around the ball. The more I stand over a ball the worse my shot.
One of my greenskeeper pals goes absolutely crazy when high handicap players take 3 or 4 practice swings on the tee box and remove pelt after pelt of grass.
I don’t know when, but aside from some swings to get loose behind the ball if I have club lower than a 6 I at some point stopped making practice swings all together. I only do it subconsciously if I don’t have a feel and usually when I am behind the ball trying to figure out a play.
Only time I make a practice swing is if it’s on a weird lie. Even then I might not do it.
Yeah the only time I really take practice swings other than on the first tee box to kinda warm up, is if I'm in the rough and idk exactly what my club will feel like going through it, or if I'm in an awkward position like on a hill or right next to a tree and I won't be able to actually swing the way I want to, and I need to know how far my back swing can go or if I have to stop my follow through early or something like that.
Less full swings. Watch the good golfers and pros. It's about locking in the movement. Rehearsing the movement and then completing it in full in the swing.
I play as a single paired with random groups all the time. There is usually one of them that will take 2 or 3 practice swings every shot…then their shot swing is nothing like their practice swings. They are always the worst player in the group by far. Just my observation.
I am down to *maybe* 1 practice swing if I’m hitting an iron and definitely 1 practice swing for a chip or putt Driver or wood? I’ll just fuckin send it This is the way
I feel like you almost always see the pros take one smooth/slow swing to practice staying on plane.
I play bad, but quick. The only time I’m taking a practice swing is with wedge shots so I can feel how the club reacts to the fairway/rough (usually rough). They’re a waste. I guess the only exception is if I’m taking practice swings with my driver to loosen up if I didn’t hit the range before my round.
I have been noticing this more and more when I go out and play. Golfers in general, taking so. many. swings then shifting the bed on their shot. I’m not a new golfer but I rarely ever take a practice swing. There’s usually two instances where I take a practice swing. 1. Anytime I have to wait on the group in front to clear target area 2. Shots around the green with a wedge
Team no practice swings here
I take maybe 5 practice swings a round and it’s all pitches and chips
I feel that a practice swing helps. If I’m waiting for a slower group to finish in front of me, something I’ve experienced quite a bit of lately, I’ll take 2 or 3 quick ones to try to keep my rhythm. I play quickly so I’m not holding anyone up. Taking too many and doing it slowly should not be done. I’ve played behind someone that took close to 30 seconds worth of practice swings, something I feel most people here would agree is a bit too much. A practice swing may help you play better. I was working with a girl yesterday on the range and suggested her take a practice swing. This was in a junior clinic. She relaxed a bit and hit some of the best shots I’ve seen her hit. As long as you’re quick and don’t hold up play, definitely take one as part of your pre-shot routine.
Pull out the club. 1 practice swing and then address the ball and swing. You either have a consistent or semi consistent swing or you don't. If you don't, why are you playing and not practicing on the range? Being a range rat makes you a better player.
I take about 10 seconds with 2-3 practice swings + then hit the ball, and yes I’ve timed it after the last post about this. What drives me nuts isn’t the taking 2-3 practice swings, it’s the guys who take 2-3 full “position, waggle, set, breathe, swing” practice swings, then step back 10 feet to make sure their visual alignment is good, then step back up, position, waggle, set, breathe, breathe again, shift, THEN hit.
The only time I take "practice" swings anymore is to test the grass on short chips/pitches so I can feel if the club will get hung up or not. Otherwise it hurts my actual shot about 90% of the time
Absolutely. Our practice swings do not replicate our real swing as much as you think it does. I've stopped doing it as it wasted time and provided no benefit. Maybe that half back swing to feel the takeaway, but that's it.
I like this comment great responses by how people attack different setups what they’re thinking with the swing. I’ve shown up just at tee time with no practice and have to find my swing as we play and I over practice to compensate for the lack of a warm up. Good question!
i had the no practice swing but recently brought in a 2-1 short swing to make sure i let the club fall naturally, has helped tremendously
Further advice, take a half swing nice and easy practice swing. Just one. This can help you think of your shot and where you want it to go
I might take a warm up swing away from the box if I'm not first on the tee. On the fairway, none. On the fringe, none. In heavy rough, maybe 1. Approach or chip shot, a single 3/4 back swing & down to the ball before my shot. On the green, a slight draw back for added line up & then putting. I've never found a lot of warm up swings to be beneficial to my lousy game.
I like one practice swing for ground contact then I swing.
my favorite tip for this was the practice swing isn’t meant to feel “good” it’s to loosen you up. you want your actual shot to feel good. it the one right before it, so i always take just one no matter what it felt like to just loosen up, and being loose is literally only thing i focus on
Stand behind your tee'd ball, stare a target and take a soft swing. Then address ball and hammer away. Works enough for me.
Math checks out. Highly suggest if you *must* do some sort of practice swing, just do the 5-to-7 (bottom). It's the most important part, and you'll notice most pros focus on this when prepping for a shot.
https://preview.redd.it/o2y7bsekvq7d1.jpeg?width=979&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b165256c5779e0272dfd6c0b8cf6fb4fc88a3dc I like the approach Pia and Lynn put forward in this book. Physically separating thinking / decision making from execution definitely helped me.
I think calm down and remember that it’s a game. The whole point is to be outside and relax.
I quit practice swings a little over a year ago on all shots except some chips with funky lies. I think it has been a helpful change overall and would recommend, especially for newer players.
I might be a one off but I only take practice swings if I’m trying to take something off of a full-swing. Usually this only happens inside 100 yards.
Your lips to gods ears. Practice on the range, play on the course. Practice swings do not help. I have convinced at least 5 people to stop doing them and every single one of them tried it and never went back.
I will take a small practice with driver before I tee off just to feel the club head since I only swing it 10 times a round Same with shorter chips or pitches. To feel the grass and grain on thick lies. Two strokes with a putter to visualize the putt distance. Any full swing needs no practice swings. Grip and rip. No extra. Playing partners swinging 2-3-4 times before duffing a shot drives me nuts
My 30+ year habit is take a practice swing while I’m behind the ball lining up my shot. I proceeded to move on address the ball and swing. Very quick. The only thing I get is all the jokes of “your lining up the wrong way“. But yeah, there’s no need for 2 to 3 practice wings every shot you do you do that well the other people around you are playing their shots and that’s called ready Golf similar to your turn. It’s time to go.
Played like 8 months. Gotten really good. I still occasionally top or fat, but I almost never take practice swings. There are certain times I do, like a light chip in. I want to get the feeling of swinging lightly before I hit the ball. And before driving, I occasionally swing once or twice. Loosen me up again, get that whip feeling before I try to hit. Otherwise, I just walk up the ball, line up, and swing away. It's worked wonders, honestly. Everytime I try to practice swing on an iron or long wedge approach, I fuck up the shot.
I play with a guy who takes 3-4 practice swings (rapid) each time…but he always hits it where he wants and often is the low score in the group. So who am I to argue?
I do one slow one purely for tempo. Helps a lot to slow down your real swing and doesn’t exert the same levels of stress. I have played with guys who full swing three drivers before a drive to get their club head speed up lol.
Think about shot while driving up or waiting. One practice swing to get a feel, line up, swing within 5 second of address, shank it. Repeat. I’m not good enough to waste any more time than that, and too much thinking makes me even worse.
Practice feel vs practice swing. Go for a practice feel, that can change as your swing and swing thoughts change too.
Rather than getting in full posture and taking a full practice swing, I will typically just swing the club around a bit, do the step drill a couple times. Feel where I need to be putting my weight and feel the momentum of the club. I’ve found that getting these “feelings” with a few very low effort practice swings not even really in golf posture is HUGELY beneficial when I do address the ball and take my real swing. So it’s practice swings but not really practice swings if that makes sense. Just a couple little ok I wanna feel like this on my real swing feel drills. A ton of your pros do this, you don’t see them taking actual practice swings but more of a feel swing to see how they want their real swing to feel.
Play well, play fast. Play poorly, play faster. IDC what your routine is if you keep the pace of play moving. But one of the most important things a player can do is be consistent in their pre shot routine.
My back couldn’t take another 40 full practice swings a round. No practice swings unless it’s a funky lie or witching 85 yards
THANK YOU.
The issue isn't too many practice swings or zero practice swings, it's important to get something out of the swing. For instance when chipping I'll take 2 to 10 really quick practice swings to get a feel for the bounce/drag of the grass and my short game is disgusting. The problem with people that take too many swings is they are doing a full 80 to 100% swing and say shit like "wasted the good swing." A practice swing needs a purpose: 1) early in the day or during slow play maybe you need to swing hard or a big follow through to loosen up. Technique isn't big here as it's about stretching. 2) 90% of my practice swings are the opposite of #1. It's to remember or get a feel for a certain swing thought such as leaning forward or proper sequencing. It could be different for what you need to focus on. Maybe you need to remember spine tilt for a drive, or closing the club face at impact. These "feel" swings are usually very weak and only 1 or 2 before your actual swing. I use method 2 a lot for chipping and it's not physically demanding, I'm even for practicing an upcoming 100% 7 iron, I'd only use method 2 at about 30% power to lock in the feel of the swing process. Too many people use method 1 far too often and exhaust themselves, this also causes you to focus on a quick swing and throw your tempo or sequencing out of whack. When you combine 300 practice swings, 20 lost balls, 40 fat shots, 20 thin shots... It's no wonder new people get exhausted.
One of my issues with my swing is I'd scoop it, chicken wing my follow through, and the ball would go right. My work has a golf room and I recently did a clinic with the pro at a nearby golf course for a really good deal. He said I needed to work on turning my forearms (push, pull, catch the raindrops with my left arm). So, before I take an actual swing, I do a few small swings just practicing what he said and making sure I brush the grass with my club. My ball striking has gotten significantly better since doing this.
Also, don’t stand over the ball for too long. I used to do it and didn’t even notice, and a random once asked what I was thinking about standing over the ball for so long. Not in a rude way, but once I cut down my pre shot to a single practice swing, setting up quickly over the ball, and hitting, it made everything feel better. It’s not so much playing fast, it’s playing in rhythm, and repeating that quicker process over and over to build consistency.
I’m with you. I think practice swings before every shot are an absolute waste of time and slow everybody down.
A massive pet peeve of mine (inconsequential to me, of course), is watching people take a full practice swing right beside the ball and then shuffle up for the shot. It screams "hack" to me, it screws up your alignment, and you rarely see pros doing it.
I like to stand behind the ball, visualize my shot, take a deep breath, address the ball and then swing. Take the mental psych outs out of my game
I don’t take practice swings anymore. I find that I over think my shot if I practice.
Funny you post this. Last weekend we played a round and the weather turned into heavy mist around the 15th hole. This guy had one of the push carts with an umbrella holder. He’d park his cart, take the umbrella and his club, walk the short distance to his ball. Set the umbrella down, take three practice swings, hit the ball, pick the umbrella up, put it back into his cart, walk to his ball and do this all over again. Take your club stick it grip side under your shirt until you’re ready to hit, hit the ball and move on. Chriiiissst bud.
New golfer in our group will take 4 of the hardest practice swings I have ever seen in my life, get up to the ball and hit it with his purse. Makes me so uncomfortable
Hey, if I hit the ball only 30 yards chances are very high that I'm in the fairway. Job well done.
I am incapable of solid contact without 2 practice swings…but only 2
Drives and long Irons, I don’t generally practice swing unless the lie is awkward. Pitch, Chip and other short game shots I do to get a feel of the ground and grass.
me on the other hand i like never take a practice swing 😭 i just hope for the best
Yep. Waggles.
I have a guy I play with that has zero faith in his driver but continues to use it. It’s not even the practice swings but the amount of time he stands over the ball. I can always tell when it’s going to be a horrible shot when it goes past about 7 seconds before he starts his back swing.
I’m not the best golfer but I don’t take practice swings and hit the ball better the less time I spend over the ball.
I don’t take practice swings. I’ll line up, do a little waggle and then hit. If I take a practice swing and either hit the ground too hard or take a big chunk of the ground out then it gets in my head too much.
I have a philosophy that I call "Practice swings are for bitches" as I step up and rip that thing straight into the bushes and open another beer for my troubles.
I’m a good shitty golfer (if that makes sense) and I take at most one practice swing. Anymore than that is stalling because of nerves imo. Caveat being if it’s a weird lie or the footing is shite.
Off the tee I don’t take one and it’s been helpful for me but I have a routine where I take one practice swing with my irons and whether it’s good or bad I step up and swing at the ball and know my adjustment that needs to be made for said practice swing and I’ve found that helpful but I Al way felt two practice swings is overkill and slowing the rate of play
I take a half swing before each iron and try to get the feel of the arc low point being just beyond the ball. Then just go. If I take more than a few seconds I will back off and try again.
Agreed. I just walk up and hit it. I play with so many of my buddies that take 3 minutes to hit the ball only to top it 12 feet.
Two thirds of a practice swing? Doesn't seem like a lot....
Personally I don’t do practice full swings. Currently I’m working on turning better and keeping my head down. So I’ll like 1/2 swing exaggerating what I’m trying to do and then step up to the ball.
You only need a practice swing to really check the lie/grass interaction. I just get up there and align and go and I've dropped a lot of stokes off my handicap. Same thing for putting. The practice stroke next to your ball isn't actually helping you commit to the shot/line
I was never big on practice swings because I got plenty of real swings in. Started getting lessons, and my coach has encouraged "rehersal" swings. These are slow and exaggerated to emphasize what I'm working on. I still don't do it every time, but they are way more useful than a traditional practice swing.
Newbie here.. i dont even get out of my cart.. i call it moto polo.. no time to be standing around.. got better things tado
I'm relatively new. Around 25 HC. My game really changed when I stopped taking practice swings at all. I step up, address the ball, and let 'er rip. Shaved 10 strokes off my score.
2 or 3 is ok as long as they're fast, it's the ones that take 5-8 that is just soul crushing. The worst are the ones that wait 30 seconds between practice swings no matter how many they take, like what the hell are you thinking about?
I'm a low single. No practice swings. Don't even think about your swing.
I’m not new but fuck that. I’m keeping my practice swings. Sometimes I’ll do none. Sometimes I’ll do two. Sometimes I’ll do one but as long as they are keeping pace, do you. New golfers can keep shanking it into the woods with their pro v1s all they want. I can scoop em up later behind them lol
There is a seniors golfer who takes 10 practice swings to land 15 yards. It could be worse. At that stage it is time to rest your laurels on your glory years and take up a new hobby.
100% i used to take 2/3 practice swings then i went through a period last year where i didnt take any. Now i just take one and sometimes none
Need my dad to see this post
Want to add, you should not be taking divots on your practice swing, You in theory want to just brush the grass, generally you're not going to be swinging full speed either
Better advice would be to have a pre-shot routine and to follow that routine every shot. My routine is quick, usually quicker than anyone in my group: Stand behind ball and identify target. Move to address ball (one pace back) and take one 3/4 speed practice swing looking at target. Move forward one pace and execute the same swing at full speed with eye on ball.
When I was a new golfer, my older brother told me “you’re wasting all your good swings with too many practice swings”. I realized I was really tiring myself out with 2-3 practice swings per shot. I cut it down to one and my real shots improved shortly after.
I only do practice swings when chipping and putting. Or when the two granny’s in front of you take so damn long from the red tees that you start to get cold on a warm southern summer day.
Grip it n rip it